BattlefieldsMidlands Rising — Northamptonshire Countryside Levelling June 1607
English Civil War

Midlands Rising — Northamptonshire Countryside Levelling June 1607

1607
England
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Levellers
Forces
County sheriff posse
VS
Victor
County authorities
Forces
c.1,000 Levelling gangs
Outcome
Hundreds of acres of enclosures temporarily overthrown; order restored after Newton Field; some rioters prosecuted
The Battle

History & Significance

In the weeks before the Newton Field confrontation of 8 June 1607, bands of levellers systematically worked their way across the countryside of central Northamptonshire pulling down enclosure hedges. Estimates suggest up to 1,000 men were active across the county at the peak of the disturbances. The systematic nature of the levelling, covering dozens of villages, illustrated the organised character of the Midlands Rising compared to earlier sporadic enclosure riots.

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